Top 5 Things I Wouldn’t Travel Without
Today is my fortieth blog post! In celebration of that, I’m mixing things up. This post is going to be about my Top 5 Things I Wouldn’t Travel Without.
#5 – Basic Toiletries
I don’t trust the hotels to supply everything I need, and I don’t want to be without my favourite products from home. Maybe I’m a little high maintenance, but I’m going to check a bag anyways so I might as well bring some creature comforts along. Depending on how long the trip, I will even forgo the travel size bottles and opt for a larger size. My travel makeup bags are from here and I've linked an excellent stylist. I’m on holidays, I’m having pictures taken of me, and I want to look and feel my best. I’m owning my glam-cation status.
#4 – A “Nice” Outfit
Once again, I am owning the fact I may be high maintenance. If I’m traveling far from home, why not treat myself on a nice night out and look the part too? I don’t want to be under-dressed and look out of place. Especially in Europe, everyone looks so much more put together than we do out here in North America. I scrimp and save at home in order to travel, and I would far rather have a nice dinner out in Rome than in Edmonton. Getting to see the local culture might also involve going to the theatre or seeing some sort of performance, so I like to pack something fancier just in case.
#3 – Good Walking Shoes
On the low end of being high maintenance, I don’t want to wear uncomfortable shoes even if they’re cute. I make good use of my feet while traveling, and like to save money by not taking public transit or cabs often, so good footwear is a must. If someone could invent gorgeous stilettos that I could walk a mile on cobblestone with, that would be great.
#2 – A Journal and Pen
It’s hard to remember every detail of your vacation. That’s where a journal and something to write with come in handy. I used to keep one long one for multiple trips, but now recently I’ve just picked up cute little soft-cover ones from Indigo that are lightweight and easy to tote wherever I go. It’s nice to even throw in your day pack and jot down details of things you took photos of, which brings me to my number one pick that I wouldn’t travel without:
#1 - Camera and Gear
This includes a multitude of memory cards. My current camera gear includes a Nikon D5100 with an 18-200mm zoom lens, but recently I’ve been thinking of switching to the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. A lightweight micro four-thirds system that is perfect for traveling and snapping quick photos on the go. The lenses are light and capable: great for packing in a day pack before heading out to explore a new destination. They say the best camera is the one you have on you, so why not have a camera that you’re likely to want to tote around? Whether it be an iPhone, a Go-Pro, or a full-size DSLR, it doesn’t matter as long as you can save some of your favourite memories to relive them later at home.
So there you have it, my Top 5 Things I Wouldn’t Travel Without. What are some things you wouldn’t leave behind? Anything not on my list?
